


A Book and Its Cover

by DebbieF



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Gen, Takes place during season one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-23
Updated: 2014-02-23
Packaged: 2018-01-13 13:35:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1228339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DebbieF/pseuds/DebbieF
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A new member of SG-2 spells trouble for Doctor Daniel Jackson.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Book and Its Cover

*SGC - Embarkation Room*

Colonel O’Neill tapped his foot impatiently while waiting for the gate to dial up. In the meantime he kept looking over his shoulder at the youngest member of his team. He couldn’t put his finger on it exactly but Daniel was acting particularly skittish today. That was the only word for it he could come up with.

Glancing over at Ferretti, O’Neill noticed that the other officer thought something was up as well. SG-2 had been assigned as back-up for this mission and having his old teammate with him had improved his mood about visiting P2X yadda, yadda.

As Ferretti sidled up next to him, he mentioned the same thing to the colonel. “Our boy’s a bit on the nervous side today.”

“Yup, seems that way.” O’Neill couldn’t help but notice a new man on SG-2. “What happened to Jenkins?”

“Last minute replacement,” Ferretti frowned slightly. “Lieutenant Jenkins fell and broke his ankle yesterday. So he’ll be out of commission for awhile.”

“Ouch!” O’Neill winced in sympathy. “Yeah, can’t have him going through the gate on crutches.” His remark caused a short bark of laughter from the major. “So, what’s his name?”

“Sergeant Foland. He’s actually a transfer from SG-8.”

“Why?” The colonel’s question was short and sweet.

Scratching at his chin, Ferretti honestly didn’t know. “I understood that there was some friction between him and his teammates.”

“Over what?” Now O’Neill’s legendary radar started to kick in.

“You know I’m not really sure,” Ferretti seemed sheepish. “We needed to make up the numbers quickly before joining you guys, and I didn’t have the time to find out.”

“Well, do that when we come back,” O’Neill ordered sharply. “We can’t afford having any hotheads running around this base.”

“Gotcha, Colonel,” Ferretti winked and re-joined his men.

Walking casually over to Teal’c, O’Neill nudged the silent Jaffa in the side. “Once we’re through the gate, keep your eye opened on Daniel for me, but try not to look obvious about it.”

“I will endeavor to keep both eyes open on Daniel Jackson, O’Neill.”

“Yeah, whatever,” O’Neill just shook his head and waved at Walter in the control room. “What’s the hold up?” he shouted up.

Leaning into the microphone, Walter replied, “Just a minor hiccup in the system, sir.”

“Do you need my help?” Captain Carter yelled out.

“We got it under control, Ma’am.”

“Don’t look so dejected, Carter.” The colonel knew that if it were up to her she’d be happy to play all day long with gate diagnostics.

She didn’t bother with a reply since the gate sequence finally started up, and Captain Carter watched as the wormhole blossomed to life.

“Okay, kids... showtime.” With a wave of his P-90, Colonel O’Neill waited as SG-2 went through the blue puddle first. Observing Daniel shuffling his feet he warned the archaeologist. “Don’t you dare get lost!”

Mouth open like a guppy fish, Daniel gave Jack a wounded look.

“Shit! Now I feel like I just kicked a puppy,” O’Neill muttered to himself.

“Sir?” Carter turned, a question on her lips.

“Oh don’t mind me, Captain.” O’Neill made a shooing motion with his hand so that she’d take the hint and start walking up the ramp.

After she slowly went up, Daniel followed her next with Teal’c close on his heels.

Being the last one to go through, the colonel stopped at the top of the ramp, turned around and sent General Hammond a two fingered salute. “I’ll be sure to write home soon, sir.”

Voice booming through the speaker, Hammond responded. “Just get home in one piece and I’ll be happy, Colonel. God speed!”

Backing into the Stargate, Colonel O’Neill’s face wore his trademark smirk.

++++

*P2X-941*

Being the last through the gate had its advantages at times. O’Neill could see everyone from his vantage point which led him to wonder where SG-1's archaeologist was.

“Oh, Carter,” O’Neill sing-songed, “where’s the kid?”

Busy taking soil samples, the young captain’s head immediately snapped up at the sound of her CO’s voice. “Uh, last time I looked he was with Teal’c, sir.”

From what O’Neill could see, he was now missing two teammates. “I don’t see either of them.”

Standing back up, Carter glanced over at where SG-2 were currently standing. “Major!” she called out. “Which way did Daniel go?”

“Yeah, Ferretti,” O’Neill’s tone was not pleasant. “Thought you guys were supposed to keep watch?”

“Daniel’s with Teal’c,” Ferretti grinned. “He couldn’t be in better hands. Besides, I sent one of my men with them.”

“If that kid gets himself hurt or kidnapped again, he’ll find out what it’s like to be in my hands,” O’Neill growled low as he heard the rest of SG-2 snickering in the background. It was then it registered what Ferretti had just told him and who else was missing from SG-2. “Oh hell! Not the new guy?”

“I had him go with Daniel and Teal’c.” Major Ferretti started to feel uncertain under the colonel’s glare.

“Point me in their general direction, will ya,” O’Neill snapped. “Think papa bear needs to go check on baby bear.”

“Oh God! Don’t let Daniel get wind of what you just said,” Ferretti tried hard not to laugh at the picture that presented.

“Where in damnation did they go, Major?” 

Instantly Ferretti’s mirth fled under the intense stare of his superior. He quickly gave the colonel the coordinates as he and his men were ordered to stand by.

++++

“Daniel Jackson, you have not let me check inside this cave first before entering it.”

Rubbing at some dirt on his face, Daniel sighed. “You guys really need to relax more. We had the UAV show us no signs of intelligent life so I doubt there’s anything hiding in here that’s going to eat me for lunch.” Sometimes he felt like a little kid the way everyone had to watch out for him. Daniel had a life well before the SGC. Something that everyone around him tended to forget.

Arching his brow, Teal’c was not impressed by the archaeologist’s speech. He heard a low chuckle from behind him and turning around glared at the sergeant. “What is so amusing?”

Getting himself under control, Sergeant Foland cleared his throat. “Nothing.”

“Exactly,” Teal’c replied smartly and turned his back on the man.

“This is fascinating,” Daniel tuned out the other two men. Pointing at one side of the glistening cavern, he turned to the Jaffa. “From the outside it’s hard as a rock,” his hands danced over the surface, “but on the inside it’s texture feels as soft as grass.”

“Teal’c, would you do me a favor and grab my toolkit from the bag I brought with me,” Daniel asked. “I left it on that boulder just outside the cave.”

“I will only be a minute,” Teal’c nodded and sent a black look in Foland’s direction.

“Well, kid, it’s just you and me again,” Foland breathed down the back of Daniel’s neck.

Pushing his glasses up his nose, Daniel tried to ignore the officer. Since Foland’s re-assignment to SG-2 he’s been nothing but a thorn in his side. Seemed everywhere he turned there he was tormenting him. Talk about bullies. He reminded Daniel of the ones he had to put up with all through school.

Once, the sergeant even cornered Daniel in one of the bath stalls at the SGC when he was trying to clean the grime off of him from his last mission. Foland backed him into a corner and nearly cut off his wind-pipe. For a few seconds, Daniel wasn’t sure if the man was going to assault him with words or worse. But all the sergeant did was to call him names like - dweeb, geek, four-eyes. Nothing he hadn’t heard before during his school years, but the force behind the words is what made him feel jittery.

Sure he should have told Jack but he felt that if he did that, what type of signals would that send out to the people he worked with at the mountain? Daniel wanted his co-workers to respect him and his abilities. He didn’t want them to feel he was a whiner and worse, someone who had to have others defend him.

A jab in the back, nearly pushed Daniel into the roughened cave wall. Wondering what the heck was taking Teal’c so long, he turned around to face the officer. “You do realize I’m trying to get some work done here?”

“Don’t care,” Foland snarled and pushed hard at the archeologist’s right shoulder.

“You should care,” Daniel snapped. Trying to focus back on his work, he suddenly found his flashlight knocked out of his hands as he was flipped around and shoved hard against the wall. “Really! You want to do this now?”

Watching the young man, Foland was surprised at the archaeologist’s attitude. It didn’t seem to him like the guy was scared as much as annoyed which intrigued him. “The Jaffa seems to have gotten lost,” he smirked.

Knowing that the man expected him to call out for Teal’c’s help was the only thing that kept Daniel’s mouth shut. What a surprise Foland was in for when he discovered that the archaeologist could and would defend himself. His time on digs had prepared him for many situations. Some even Jack would have been surprised to learn about. Perhaps over a beer some night he may just do that.

Stepping away from the officer, Daniel warned him again. “You want to get it out of your system?”

Laying his P-90 against the cavern wall, Foland crossed his arms and appeared quite menacing. “What do you think?”

Faster than you could blink, Daniel had grabbed two small knives, one hidden inside each of his boots. Throwing them with complete accuracy at Foland; the other man found himself pinned against the cave. Daniel knew the softness of the walls would work in his favor as each knife pierced through the material of the sergeant’s BDU jacket just above the shoulders. “Not feeling so powerful now?” 

Astonishment was clearly written on the older man’s features. Other than that, he didn’t get a chance to respond as two shadowy figures caught his attention at the cave’s entrance.

“Now we know why he was transferred,” O’Neill spat. “Ferretti, get him out of here, and put him under guard until we get back to the SGC.”

Brushing past Daniel, Major Ferretti grimaced. “Sorry, Doctor J.”

“Not your fault, Lou.” Watching the major roughly treat the sergeant didn’t make Daniel feel any better. Collecting his thoughts he scowled at Jack. “What happened to Teal’c? I sent him for my toolkit and he never came back.”

As if by magic, Teal’c appeared by O’Neill’s side. “I was about to enter when I observed Sergeant Foland’s behavior. I waited outside to see how he would act.”

“Teal’c?” O’Neill seemed surprised at this information. “You didn’t think it would have been prudent to protect Daniel in his hour of need.”

“Jaaaaack!”

“Aht!” Jack held up a finger. “I’m talkin’.”

“Daniel Jackson seemed to have everything under control when I went to retrieve you.”

“Damn it, Daniel! Quit laughing,” Jack snapped.

“Sorry,” Daniel wiped at his eyes. “Teal’c made it sound like he was fetching a dog.”

“Where were we? Oh yeah,” Jack watched the innocent blue eyes blink at him, “where’d you learn to handle knives like that.”

“Wish I could say that if I told you I’d have to shoot you but I can’t,” Daniel grinned. “Just something I picked up in my travels. Came in handy on digs I’ll tell you that.”

“You will tell me,” Jack said with certainty. “This Friday, my house. Beer and pizza.”

“Did I hear beer and pizza?” Carter joined them then. Hearing from Ferretti about Daniel’s acquired skills.

“Yes, Sam,” Daniel answered. “Friday, team night at Jack’s.”

Walking past his friend, Daniel felt a slap on his back.

“Ya did good, Danny.” 

“Indeed.”

“Never judge a book by its cover,” O’Neill said quietly, watching his kids walk away chattering nine to the dozen.

“What is this *book* and *cover* you talk about, O’Neill?”

“Tell ya on Friday.”

The End


End file.
